U.S. patent number 10,529,371 [Application Number 16/173,975] was granted by the patent office on 2020-01-07 for actuator tip calibration for robotic optical storage system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. The grantee listed for this patent is International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to David Jame Altknecht, Daniel F. Smith.
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United States Patent |
10,529,371 |
Smith , et al. |
January 7, 2020 |
Actuator tip calibration for robotic optical storage system
Abstract
A calibration system includes a moveable arm configured for
movement within an optical disc storage system. A disc kicker
device includes an actuator and an actuator tip that contacts an
optical disc. The disc kicker device is connected to the moveable
arm. The calibration system performs a calibration operation to
calibrate the actuator at the actuator tip to correct displacement
error.
Inventors: |
Smith; Daniel F. (Santa Cruz,
CA), Altknecht; David Jame (San Jose, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
International Business Machines Corporation |
Armonk |
NY |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
International Business Machines
Corporation (Armonk, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
69058802 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/173,975 |
Filed: |
October 29, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B
17/225 (20130101); G11B 17/05 (20130101); G11B
17/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G11B
17/22 (20060101); G11B 17/04 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
|
|
102598136 |
|
Jul 2012 |
|
CN |
|
204149156 |
|
Feb 2015 |
|
CN |
|
0924698 |
|
Jun 1999 |
|
EP |
|
1653461 |
|
Mar 2006 |
|
EP |
|
2010005624 |
|
Jan 2010 |
|
WO |
|
2014076978 |
|
May 2014 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
Fujie, R. et al., "6 Disc In-dash CD Changer Deck", Fujitsu Ten
Tech. J., No. 14, 2000, pp. 1-8, downloaded from:
https://www.denso-ten.com/business/technicaljournal/pdf/14-1.pdf.
cited by applicant .
Watanabe, A. et al., "Optical library system for Long-term
preservation with extended error correction coding", Proceedings of
the IEEE Symposium on Massive Storage Systems and Technologies,
2013, pp. 1-18, IEEE Computer Society, United States. cited by
applicant .
International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Apr. 28, 2017
for International Application No. PCT/IB2017/0505592, pp. 1-12,
State Intellectual Property Office of the P.R. China, Beijing,
China. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Miller; Brian E
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sherman IP LLP Sherman; Kenneth L.
Laut; Steven
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus comprising: a moveable arm configured for movement
within an optical disc storage system; a disc gripper device
coupled to the moveable arm; a disc kicker device including an
actuator and an actuator tip that contacts an optical disc, the
disc kicker device is coupled to the moveable arm; a calibration
system configured to: determine a displacement error between the
actuator tip and the optical disc, and perform a calibration
operation to calibrate the actuator at the actuator tip to correct
the displacement error.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the calibration system
includes a position sensor that measures position of the actuator
tip relative to the position sensor.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the position sensor is an
optical sensor that registers location of a base of the actuator
with respect to position of an optical disc.
4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a switch of the calibration
system detects position of the actuator tip upon depression of the
switch based on movement of the moveable arm causing the actuator
tip to depress the switch.
5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein an optical proximity sensor of
the calibration system detects the position of the actuator tip
based on movement of the moveable arm causing the actuator tip to
activate the optical proximity sensor.
6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the calibration system
includes an electrical circuit that detects the position of the
actuator tip that closes the circuit based on movement of the
moveable arm.
7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the calibration system
includes a driven electrical element that is used to detect
position of the actuator tip upon movement of the moveable arm that
causes the actuator tip to modify measured capacitance of the
driven electrical element.
8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the calibration system
includes a mechanical stop that is used to detect the position of
the actuator tip based on movement of the moveable arm that causes
the actuator tip to contact the mechanical stop and measurement of
a change in force.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a mechanical stop of the
calibration system provides for the actuator tip to pass the
mechanical stop upon being aligned and prevents the actuator tip
from passing by the mechanical stop upon being misaligned.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein during actuation the moveable
arm position is corrected by a measured position of the actuator
tip from the calibration operation.
11. A calibration system comprising: a moveable arm configured for
movement within an optical disc storage system; and a disc kicker
device including an actuator and an actuator tip that contacts an
optical disc, the disc kicker device is coupled to the moveable
arm, wherein the calibration system: determines a displacement
error between the actuator tip and the optical disc, and performs a
calibration operation to calibrate the actuator at the actuator tip
to correct the displacement error.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a position sensor
that measures position of the actuator tip relative to the position
sensor.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the position sensor is an
optical sensor that registers location of a base of the actuator
with respect to position of an optical disc.
14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a switch that
detects position of the actuator tip upon depression of the switch
based on movement of the moveable arm causing the actuator tip to
depress the switch.
15. The system of claim 12, further comprising an optical proximity
sensor that detects the position of the actuator tip based on
movement of the moveable arm causing the actuator tip to activate
the optical proximity sensor.
16. The system of claim 12, further comprising an electrical
circuit that detects the position of the actuator tip based on the
actuator tip closing the electrical circuit by movement of the
moveable arm.
17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a driven electrical
element that is used to detect position of the actuator tip upon
movement of the moveable arm causing the actuator tip to modify
measured capacitance of the driven electrical element.
18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a mechanical stop
that is used to detect the position of the actuator tip based on
movement of the moveable arm causing the actuator tip to contact
the mechanical stop and measurement of a change in force.
19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a mechanical stop
that provides for the actuator tip to pass the mechanical stop upon
being in an aligned state and prevents the actuator tip from
passing by the mechanical stop upon in a misaligned state.
20. A method of calibrating an actuator in an optical disc storage
system, the method comprising: actuating a moveable arm in the
optical storage system; measuring, by a processor, position of an
actuator tip relative to a position sensor; performing, by the
processor, a calibration operation to determine a displacement
error of the actuator; and correcting displacement error during
actuation of the moveable arm position to calibrate the actuator at
the actuator tip, wherein the actuator tip contacts an optical disc
in the optical storage system.
Description
BACKGROUND
Conventional optical libraries have low performance, with access
times of 10 s of seconds to a minute or more. While optical drives
allow fast random access to data on a disc, the overall random
access performance is limited by the media move time and drive
initialization times.
SUMMARY
Embodiments relate to robotic device calibration in optical storage
systems. In one embodiment, a calibration system includes a
moveable arm configured for movement within an optical disc storage
system. A disc kicker device includes an actuator and an actuator
tip that contacts an optical disc. The disc kicker device is
connected to the moveable arm. The calibration system performs a
calibration operation to calibrate the actuator at the actuator tip
to correct displacement error.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the embodiments
will become understood with reference to the following description,
appended claims and accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a high performance optical storage system, according to
an embodiment;
FIG. 2 shows entry/removal of disc cassettes with optical discs and
optical disc drives into/out from an example rack enclosure,
according to an embodiment;
FIG. 3 is an example disc cassette for holding and retrieval of
optical discs, according to an embodiment;
FIGS. 4A-F show retrieval of an optical disc from the cassette
shown in FIG. 3 by the disc retrieval unit (DRU) including a kicker
device and disc gripper device, according to an embodiment;
FIG. 5 is an isolated view of the DRU and an optical disc being
held by the disc gripper device, according to an embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a close-up view of a disc carrier portion of the DRU and
an optical disc being gripped by the disc gripper device, according
to an embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a close-up view of a kicker tip of the DRU, according to
an embodiment;
FIGS. 8A-E show progression for loading of an optical disc into a
disc drive from the DRU, according to an embodiment;
FIG. 9 shows control circuitry and electronics for the high
performance optical storage system, according to an embodiment;
FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram for a process for disc drop off
by the high performance optical storage system, according to one
embodiment;
FIG. 11 illustrates a block diagram for a process for disc pickup
by the high performance optical storage system, according to one
embodiment;
FIG. 12 illustrates an optical sensor employed with the disc kicker
device for aligning the movable arm with the selected disc,
according to one embodiment;
FIG. 13 illustrates a switch detector employed with the disc kicker
device for aligning the kicker tip with a disc, according to one
embodiment;
FIG. 14 illustrates a switch employed with the disc kicker device
for aligning the kicker tip with a disc, according to one
embodiment;
FIG. 15 illustrates a go/no-go edge employed with the disc kicker
device for aligning the kicker tip with a disc, according to one
embodiment; and
FIG. 16 illustrates a block diagram for a process for calibrating a
disc actuator in a high performance optical storage system,
according to one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The descriptions of the various embodiments have been presented for
purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or
limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and
variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art
without departing from the scope and spirit of the described
embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain
the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or
technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace,
or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the
embodiments disclosed herein.
One or more embodiments provide for calibration in a robotic
optical storage disc system. One embodiment includes a calibration
system including a moveable arm configured for movement within an
optical disc storage system. A disc kicker device includes an
actuator and an actuator tip that contacts an optical disc. The
disc kicker device is connected to the moveable arm. The
calibration system performs a calibration operation to calibrate
the actuator at the actuator tip to correct displacement error.
FIG. 1 is a high performance optical storage system 100, according
to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the high performance optical
storage system 100 includes an enclosure 110, a moveable arm 120
connected to a disc retrieval unit (DRU) 125, multiple optical disc
drives 130, multiple optical disc-based media (discs) 140, disc
cassettes 150, and tracks 160 and 165 that hold the disc cassettes
150 in place. In one embodiment, the enclosure 110 provides a
stable platform and protection from the environment. In one
example, the enclosure includes filter material connected to
cooling fans (not shown) and a top enclosure (not shown for
internal viewing). In one embodiment, the enclosure may be sized as
a typical 19 inch rack mounted device with rack mounting
connectors. Depending on the space and enclosure size chosen, the
enclosure 110 may have a greater capacity of optical disc drives
130, disc cassettes 150, and thus, discs 140. In one example, the
disc cassettes 150 are placed within the enclosure 110 on either
side (e.g., left and right sides) of the enclosure 110. In one
example, additional disc cassettes 150 and discs 140 space is
available adjacent the disc drives 130 (e.g., towards the front of
the enclosure 110). In wider enclosures 110, more disc drives 130
may be positioned adjacent each other on the left and right side of
the enclosure 110 when more available space for disc drives 130 is
available. In one embodiment, the moveable arm 120 moves through
motors and gears on tracks within the enclosure 110 to move the DRU
125 from the back of the enclosure 110 to the front of the
enclosure 110. The DRU 125 is moveable to either side of the
enclosure 110 to retrieve a disc 140 for placement in a disc drive
130 or for replacement back to a disc cassette 150. The components
of the high performance optical storage system are described in
further detail below.
FIG. 2 shows entry/removal of disc cassettes 150 with discs 140 and
disc drives 130 into/out from an example rack enclosure 110,
according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the disc drives 130
are commonly mounted to a carrier assembly such that they can be
easily removed from one end of the enclosure 110 for maintenance.
This way, the set of disc drives 130 may plug into a backplane in
the carrier. The disc cassettes 150 are modular units that hold
many optical discs 140 (e.g., 50 discs, etc.) and may be removed
through an end of the enclosure 110. In one example, the disc
drives 130 are all positioned on one side of the enclosure 110.
This allows all the disc drives 130 to be mounted in a single
carrier and still allow a central support at the end of the
enclosure 110. In one example, the enclosure 110 may have different
disc cassette 150 capacities on either side of the enclosure 110.
Using cassette 150 assemblies as shown allows for a single part to
be utilized on both sides of the enclosure 110 to create different
storage capacities as desired.
FIG. 3 is an example disc cassette 150 for holding/storing and
retrieval of optical discs 140, according to an embodiment. In one
embodiment, the discs 140 are contained in the disc cassettes 150
within a slot (or channel, groove, etc.) 355. The disc cassettes
150 hold the discs coaxially in a vertical orientation. The discs
140 are spaced very tightly, for example 1.82 mm apart. Thin ribs
(e.g., 0.4 mm) form the slot 355, separate the discs 140 and
provide guidance when removing a disc 140 from a particular
location or returning it to the disc cassette 150. In one
embodiment, the ribs are designed to limit lateral contact with a
disc 140 surface to that portion of the outer edge, which is free
of data (i.e., does not contain data). The cassette has features
that allow the DRU 125 (FIG. 1) to be positioned to within +/-0.1
mm so a disc selector or kicker device 420 (FIGS. 4A-F) can lift
one disc 140 into a disc gripper device 410 without disturbing
adjacent discs 140. The disc cassette has additional features or
track connectors (or pair of extensions) 360, 365 and 370, 375 that
position it with respect to a mounting track 160/165 (FIG. 1) on
the enclosure 110 bottom portion. In one embodiment, the track
connectors 365 and 370 have a "dove tail" feature that fits within
the track portions 165 and 160, respectively. In one example, the
track connectors are spring-like or flexible for gripping the
mounting tracks 160/165. The example disc cassette 150 also
includes fiducial (optical) nubs 1320 (see also, FIGS. 13-15).
In one embodiment, the disc cassette 150 contacts the outer rim of
the disc 140 over an angle spanning substantially less than 180
degrees (see lines 390) when the disc is at home in a disc cassette
150. The cassette has a shorter inner lip 385 to the center of the
enclosure 110 (FIG. 1), and a taller lip 380 at the outside of the
enclosure 110. As described, a combination of gravity and friction
hold the discs 140 in place. To provide further protection against
shock, an optional disc retainer bale 395 may be employed limiting
the motion of the discs 140 when not being accessed. In one
example, the disc retainer bale 395 is be moved out of the way
(e.g., by the disc gripper device 410 (FIGS. 4A-F) when accessing a
disc 140. In one embodiment, the disc cassette 150 includes an
optional disc retainer bale 395. In one example, the disc retainer
bale 395 is spring-loaded.
FIGS. 4A-F show retrieval of an optical disc 140 from the disc
cassette 150 shown in FIG. 3 by the DRU 125 including a kicker
device 420 and disc gripper device 410, according to an embodiment.
In one embodiment, the disc cassette 150 is designed to provide
disc 140 access motions in both the vertical and horizontal
directions as show in FIGS. 4A-F. That is, the disc 140 is lifted
above the inner lip 385 (FIG. 3) and then translated to the center
of the enclosure 110 within the DRU 125. In FIG. 4A, the DRU 125 is
positioned by the robotics for alignment across from the selected
disc 140. In FIG. 4B, the disc gripper device 410 is moved
laterally from the center of the DRU 125 to a position vertically
above the selected disc 140. If there is a restraint mechanism on
the cassette (e.g., disc retainer bale 395 (FIG. 3)), it is moved
out of the way by the disc gripper device 410.
In FIG. 4C the disc kicker device 420 is rotated by the robotic
controller of the DRU 125 until it contacts the edge of the disc
140. In FIG. 4D the disc kicker device 420 is further rotated by
the robotic controller remaining in contact with edge of the disc
140. The shape of the disc cassette 150 constrains the disc 140 to
move it vertically by lifting the disc 140 into the disc gripper
device 410. During this operation, the edge of the disc 140 near
the outside of the enclosure 110 is constrained against
out-of-plane motion by the slot 355 (FIG. 3) in the disc cassette
150. Once the disc 140 has reached its vertical limit, the disc
gripper device 410 closes jaws 415 (FIG. 5) on both surfaces of the
disc 140 in the edge region, securely holding the disc 140. In FIG.
4E the disc kicker device 420 is retracted by the robotic
controller of the DRU 125 to the central position. In FIG. 4F the
disc gripper device 410 is returned to the central position within
the DRU 125, moving the disc 140 into the travel position. In one
example, the angle of contact subtended by the disc cassette 150
must be limited to allow for this motion of the disc 140. Further,
extending of the walls of the slot 355 above the storage contact
point of the disc 140 provides a vital out of plane motion
restraint for the disc 140. The slot 355 further operates as a
guide when a disc 140 is returned to the disc cassette 150.
In one embodiment, the slot 355 pitch is slightly larger than the
thickness of a disc 140. Tighter spacing allow for more discs 140
to fit in the enclosure 110. This spacing is limited by the disc
cassette 150 materials to maintain the disc 140 orientation. The
disc cassette is preferably made by injection molding. However,
other molding techniques may also be employed. In one example, the
disc cassette 150 includes "dove tails" on the track connectors 365
and 370 disposed along the bottom to facilitate position
registration and to securely hold the disc cassettes 150 in place,
while allowing for the cassettes to be inserted and extracted from
the enclosure 110 by sliding out an end of the enclosure 110.
FIG. 5 is an isolated view of the DRU 125 and an optical disc 140
being held by the jaws 415 of the disc gripper device 410,
according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the DRU 125 is
configured in a "T" configuration, with a crossbar or arm 120 that
travels above the discs 140 and has a central portion attached
beneath the arm 120. The arm 120 moves longitudinally along the
center of the enclosure 110, driven by a motor 510 that travels
with the arm 120. In one example, the motor 510 drives the arm 120
via pinion attachments 520 on both ends of the arm 120 that engage
racks on both sides of the enclosure 110. In one example, the DRU
125 is supported on bearings at either end of the arm 120. The
mechanical arrangement thus drives both ends in concert along the
racks of the enclosure 110. This arrangement prevents the DRU 125
from binding due to bearing friction. It also aids in keeping the
DRU 125 rigid and limits twisting motion, which allows for tight
tolerances on the disc 140 spacing. In one example, the DRU 125
includes a wiring control connector 530 that communicate control
commands to the controlling circuitry of the DRU 125.
FIG. 6 is a close-up view of a disc carrier portion of the DRU 125
and a disc 140 being gripped by the disc gripper device 410,
according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the DRU 125 includes
the disc gripper device 410, which holds the disc 140 by both
surfaces in the edge region. The disc gripper device 410 travels
laterally on the arm 120, such that it can be positioned over discs
140 on either side of the enclosure 110 (FIG. 1), in the center for
travel, and at the dropoff/pickup positions at the disc drives 130.
The central portion of the DRU 125, which is a disc carrier
including the disc kicker device 420 that lifts the discs 140 out
of the disc cassette 150 using a motor 610, control electronics,
sensors 630, and a disc guide (groove or slot) 620. The disc guide
620 constrains the bottom edge of the disc 140 when the disc
gripper device 410 is positioned in the carrier. This keeps the
disc 140 stable during high speed accelerations and from windage
during high speed motion of the arm 120, allowing the DRU 125 to
move a disc 140 from one end of the enclosure 110 to the other in
under 1 second.
In one embodiment, the disc guide 620 has a capture region at
either side to provide tolerance for deviations of the disc 140
orientation from perfectly vertical when moving the disc 140 into
the carrier. In one example, a further aspect of the disc guide 620
is that it also acts as a guide for the disc kicker device 420,
keeping the disc 140 and disc kicker device 420 properly registered
to each other.
In one embodiment, the DRU 125 does not require a traveling lateral
power connection (Flex cable, wire harness, etc.) to function. In
one example, the DRU 125 is designed such that power is only
required at discrete lateral positions of the disc gripper device
410. These discrete lateral positions are located at the left and
right dropoff/pickup positions. Power is provided here by contacts,
such as pushpins, that the laterally moving portion comes into
contact with at the stated positions. This operation is facilitated
by the disc gripper device 410 being powered only to perform grip
or un-grip operations. No power is required when holding a disc
140.
In one embodiment, the disc 140 media may be single sided or dual
sided. The disc drives 130 (FIG. 1) may have single sided or dual
sided capable. It may be that single side disc drives 130 are used
in combination with dual side media. In such a case, in one
embodiment the DRU 125 may include a mechanism to flip the disc 140
about a vertical axis to orient the desired side of the media for
drive operations. In one example, the flip operation may occur
while transporting the media, thus has limited or no impact on
performance. In another example, a separate mechanism flips the
discs 140. In this example, the DRU 125 delivers a disc 140 to the
flipper and retrieves it after it has been flipped. Another example
includes orienting a subset of the disc drives 130 for operating on
one side of the discs 140, and the remaining drives for operating
on the other side of the discs 140. This avoids the need to perform
a flip operation.
FIG. 7 is a close-up view of a kicker tip 710 for the disc kicker
device 420 (see, e.g., FIGS. 4A-F) of the DRU 125, according to an
embodiment. In one embodiment, 1.2 mm thick discs 140 are packed on
1.82 mm centers in the disc cassette 150, leaving 0.62 mm between
discs 140. A disc 140 must be rapidly selected from the disc
cassette 140, secured by the disc gripper device 410 (FIGS. 4A-F),
and moved onto the DRU 125 (FIG. 1) for transport to a disc drive
130 without disturbing or damaging adjacent discs 140. In one
example, discs 140 must also be returned to their slots 355 after
the requested data has been read.
In one embodiment, a motor 610 (FIG. 6) actuated disc kicker device
420 on the disc carrier of the DRU 125 is swung back and forth to
contact discs 140 on either side of the enclosure 110 (FIG. 1). A
tip 710 of the disc kicker device 420 aligned with one of the discs
140 contacts the disc edge and, with the disc 140 back edge guided
by fins in the back wall of the disc cassette 150, lifts the disc
140 vertically into the disc gripper device 410 jaws 415 (FIG. 5)
or lowers it out of the disc gripper device 410 back into the disc
cassette 150. In one embodiment, the tip 710 of the disc kicker
device 420 blade are somewhat wider than the disc 140 and are
shaped to capture the disc 140 edge, thus preventing the disc 140
from slipping off the tip 710. In other example, blade tips 710
with a concave contour or a shallow trapezoidal groove may be
employed to fulfill this objective.
FIGS. 8A-E show progression for loading of an optical disc 140 into
a disc drive 130 from the DRU 125 (FIG. 1), according to an
embodiment. The disc gripper device 410 is designed to securely
hold a disc 140 using the jaws 415 with sufficient force to allow
rapid acceleration without the disc 140 slipping, and to enable
rapid gripping and releasing of the disc 140. The disc 140 surface
must not be damaged during these operations. A further aspect of
the disc gripper device 410 is that it must not drop a disc 140 on
power loss, thus power is required only to transition between
gripped and un-gripped states. In one embodiment, the disc gripper
device 410 jaws 415 are shaped so as to contact only the non-data
portion of the outer diameter of a disc 140. This may be
facilitated by gripping the disc 140 edge over an angle of about 35
degrees.
In one embodiment, the disc gripper device 410 is mounted on a high
speed translation mechanism on the arm 120, such as a lead screw.
The disc gripper device 410 can translate laterally such that it
can access discs 140 on both sides of the enclosure 110 (FIG. 1),
and to the disc mount position in the disc drives 130. In one
example, the disc gripper device 410 mechanism may be provided with
a stage for rotating the disc 140 about a vertical axis to allow
the use of double-sided media with single-sided disc drives 130. In
another example, a second disc gripper device (not shown) is
positioned with rotation capability at fixed location in the
enclosure 110. The disc 140 is delivered to the second disc gripper
device, and the first disc gripper releases the disc 140 and moves
away. The second disc gripper device rotates the disc through 180
degrees, and then the first disc gripper device (e.g., disc gripper
device 410) returns and retrieves the disc 140 from the second disc
gripper device. The second disc gripper device may be positioned on
the bottom of the enclosure 110 and rotate the disc 140 about a
vertical axis, or it may be mounted to a side of the enclosure 110
and rotate the disc 140 about a horizontal axis. To facilitate
throughput, the DRU 125 may move a second disc 140 between the
storage area and the disc drives 130 while the first disc 140 is
being flipped.
In one embodiment, direct robotic delivery and pickup of media to
and from a mount position at the optical drive spindle 810 is
implemented. The mount position is defined as where the center of
the optical disc is displaced in the plane of the disc from the
center of the spindle by less than an inner diameter of the optical
disc. This differs from conventional designs, where the disc is
delivered to a tray or slot load optical drive. Direct load
improves the round trip time for a disc 140 by about 4 seconds, as
it avoids the roughly a 2 second tray/slot load and unload times. A
further advantage is that both tray and slot load mechanisms are
subject to mechanical breakdown, limiting the drive lifetime in
terms of load/unload cycles. One or more embodiments avoid such
wear-out mechanisms. A further advantage is that high density disc
packing requires tight tolerance in the disc retrieval from the
disc drive 130. Tray and slot loaders have significant slop in the
position of the disc when presented for pickup. In one example, a
disc drive 130 includes a modified conventional disc drive that is
customized to provide direct access operations. An opening is
provided in the drive case to allow the disc gripper device 410 to
move to the spindle 810 mount position. The jaws 415 of the disc
gripper device 410 use a clamping mechanism to secure the disc 140
after the disc 140 is unclamped from the spindle 810.
In one embodiment, the hub mechanism of the disc drive 130 is shock
mounted, and this provides sufficient tolerance to allow the disc
gripper device 410 to securely grip a disc 140 over a range of
mounted disc positions, and to allow the spindle clamp to grip a
disc 140 being delivered over a range of positions. The compliance
provided by the hub mechanism shock mounting allows the disc
gripper device 410 to be positioned such that there is a slight
vertical interference between the top of the disc 140 and a disc
sense mechanism of the disc gripper 410 when it is in its limiting
"disc present" position. This ensures that the disc 140 will have a
vertical net force against a disc sense mechanism in its limit
position when the disc gripper device 410 is actuated at the disc
drive 130. In one example, the implementation of the direct access
customized disc drive 130 provides for mounting/unmounting of a
disc 140 to be accomplished in about 1 second.
In one embodiment, to mount a disc 140 in the disc drive 130, the
DRU 125 moves to the longitudinal position for dropoff at the
chosen disc drive 130 within the enclosure 110. The disc gripper
device 410 then translates laterally to the mount position, and
holds the disc 140 until the clamp mechanism has secured the disc
140 on the spindle 810. In one example, the disc gripper 410
releases the disc 140 and retreats back to a centered position of
the DRU 125. Similarly, the disc 140 may be retrieved from the disc
drive 130 by securely gripping the disc 140 by the jaws 415 of the
disc gripper device 410 while it is held on the optical drive
spindle 810 (after it has stopped rotating and before the disc
drive 130 clamp has released it) so that the disc 140 is always
under positive control. In another embodiment, it is beneficial for
the disc drive 130 to include constraints, which allow the spindle
810 clamp to fail safe. This means that if the spindle 810 clamp
releases the disc 140 inadvertently, the disc 140 can either be
re-clamped by the spindle 810, or delivered to the disc gripper
device 410. During load, the disc gripper device 410 could release
prior to the spindle 810 clamp being engaged, and during pickup the
spindle 810 clamp can release before the gripper 410 engages.
In one embodiment, the disc drives 130 are positioned such that the
lateral disc dropoff/pickup position of the disc gripper device 410
at the disc drives 130 differs only slightly (<1 cm) from the
lateral position for disc dropoff/pickup in the disc cassette 150
(FIGS. 4A-F) on the same side of the enclosure 110 (FIG. 1) as the
disc drives 130. The disc drive 130 is vertically positioned such
that the disc drive 130 mount position aligns with a disc 140 in
the disc gripper device 410. In one example, a shadow mask is
incorporated at the bottom edge of the disk drive 130 that allows
the DRU 125 to be longitudinally positioned to within +-0.1 mm.
In one embodiment, a further aspect includes the use of optical
disc drives 130 with high speed initialization features. Such a
disc drive 130 significantly reduces the time from disc 140 load to
first byte of data. In standard disc drives, this operation can
take 10 s of seconds as the drive performs operations such as
identifying the media type, reading bad block tables or other
initialization data off the media, etc. In one embodiment, an
inventory manager (described below) is implemented that stores and
transmits initialization information to the disc drive 130 on media
load, eliminating the time required by the disc drive 130 to read
this information from the disc 140. This reduces the initialization
time to around 1 second.
FIG. 9 shows control circuitry and electronics 900 for the high
performance optical storage system 100 (FIG. 1), according to an
embodiment. In one embodiment, optical sensors of the sensor set
920 are used in the system to provide contactless position
information for various moving components. In one example, optical
sensors of the sensor set 920 on the disc carrier of the DRU 125
combined with the features of the disc cassettes 150 and the disc
drives 130 allow the disc gripper device 410 to be positioned to
within +-0.1 mm. Other sensors of the sensor set 920 are used to
sense location of the disc kicker device 420, whether a disc 140 is
in the disc gripper device 410, the lateral position of the disc
gripper device 410, etc. Sensors of the sensor set 920 may be used
in concert with features on the disc cassettes 150 to facilitate
positioning of the DRU 125 at disc 140 locations. Other examples
include referring to the discs 140 themselves. Similarly, features
may be disposed on the enclosure 110 or the disc drives 130 to
facilitate accurate positioning of the DRU 125 when loading and
unloading discs 140 from the disc drives 130. In another example,
transmissive photo interrupter sensors may be utilized for position
state sensing of the various components. The motors used in the
system may be of the brushless DC type, optionally with shaft
encoders to aid in position determination. In one example, the
motors may include the DRU 125 longitudinal motor(s) 941, the disc
gripper device 410 lateral motor(s) 942, the disc gripper device
410 motor 943, the disc kicker device 420 motor(s) 944, etc.
In one embodiment, the control electronics shown in the control
circuitry and electronics 900 are partitioned into a robotic
controller (the disc carrier controller 930) on the disc carrier
and an enclosure controller 910 otherwise mounted in the enclosure
110 (FIG. 1). The latter does not move, and includes a CPU 912,
memory 911 and associated components for running the control
software. In one example, the control circuitry and electronics 900
includes local storage for holding the operating system and the
control software, although in another example may instead boot over
a network and load the necessary software, or even boot off the
optical media of a disc 140. In another example, flash memory
storage is implemented. The enclosure controller 910 includes both
the external interface to a host system or network as well as
interfaces (SATA 913, storage interface 916) to the disc drives
130, collectively shown as a set 917. In one example, the external
interface may include a network interface, such as Ethernet. In one
embodiment, for enhanced reliability, the network interface would
include two connections, such as Ethernet connections 914 and 915
with each directed to a separate switch. In another example, a
third external interface might be used for system control and
monitoring.
In one embodiment, the enclosure controller 910 is responsive to
commands over the external interface to load a disc 140, read and
write data, and perform other operations. In one example, the
enclosure controller 910 communicates with the robotic controller
(disc carrier controller 930) to send commands, such as to load a
selected disc 140 (FIG. 1) in a selected disc drive 130. The
enclosure controller 910 also includes a data buffer for holding
read and write data during data transfers.
In one embodiment, the robotic controller (disc carrier controller
930) manages the robotic activities of the high performance optical
storage system 100, including controlling the motors, reading
optical and other sensor data and communicating state information
with the enclosure controller 910. In one embodiment, the robotic
controller (disc carrier controller 930) communicates with the
enclosure controller 910 over a serial interface. The interface may
be wired, such as universal serial bus (USB) over a flex cable, or
wireless, such as infrared data association (IRDA), BLUETOOTH.RTM.,
etc. In one example, on initialization, it is critical for the disc
carrier controller 930 to determine the physical state of the high
performance optical storage system 100 to prevent damage. If the
high performance optical storage system 100 has undergone a
controlled shutdown, this state information may be recorded within
the library. Even so, this shutdown state needs to be confirmed.
The high performance optical storage system 100 may have been
powered down in an unknown state, such as by an unintended power
loss. For example, before the DRU 125 can move longitudinally, the
high performance optical storage system 100 must determine if a
disc 140 is in the disc gripper device 410 and if so, position the
disc gripper device 410 within the drive carrier prior to a
longitudinal move. In one embodiment, the sensors set 920 includes
sensors to detect if the disc gripper device 410 is centered, or to
the left or right of center. Thus, the disc gripper device 410 can
be moved directly to the center position. Similarly, sensors of the
sensor set 920 are provided to determine if the disc kicker device
420 is centered, or to the left or right of center. Once both disc
gripper device 410 and disc kicker device 420 are centered, the DRU
125 may be moved longitudinally. All these functions are
accomplished through means of the set of sensors 920. In one
embodiment, optical sensors are used to make the position
determinations.
In one embodiment, the high performance optical storage system 100
determines if discs 140 are located within any of the disc drives
130. The disc drives 130 may be queried to see if a disc 140 is
loaded and the spindle 810 clamped. It is possible for a disc 140
to remain in a disc drive 130 but not be clamped by the spindle
810. This can be tested by attempting a clamp operation.
In one embodiment, an inventory manger is implemented that includes
metadata for each disc 140 in the high performance optical storage
system 100. In one example, the metadata may include the media
type, bad block table or other initialization information, location
of the disc within the enclosure 110, etc. The high performance
optical storage system 100 can transmit this initialization
information to a disc drive 130 upon the load operation, which
substantially shortens the startup time. The inventory manager also
queries the disc drive 130 on unload to obtain updates to the
media.
In one example, metadata, such as changes in the bad block
information, is stored by the inventory manager in nonvolatile
storage which may be external to the high performance optical
storage system 100. Any system metadata can be periodically flushed
to specific locations on the media in the library to create
self-described system state, such as for relocating a system.
Alternatively, the metadata may be stored on other nonvolatile
media in the enclosure controller 910.
In one embodiment, the high performance optical storage system 100
software includes a library executive, which is responsive to read,
write, mount and dismount commands from a host system. The library
executive forwards mount and dismount commands and information to
the disc carrier controller 930. The mount command information
includes the disc location in the disc cassette 150 to select and
the disc drive 130 to load. The dismount command information
includes information on the disc drive 130 to unload and the target
location for storing the disc 140 in the disc cassette 150.
FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram for a process 1000 for disc 140
drop off by the high performance optical storage system 100,
according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the dropoff and
pickup of discs 140 (FIG. 1) directly at the spindle 810 (FIGS.
8A-E) may be facilitated by adjusting the operational timing of the
disc drive 130. In conventional disc drives, the operation of
engaging the spindle clamp spins up the spindle motor as soon as
the clamp engages. Similarly, unloading the disc generally
disengages the spindle clamp once the spindle motor has stopped
spinning. In one embodiment, it is advantageous to separate the
motor spinning from the spindle clamp engagement, as shown in
process 1000 (error recovery paths where operations have failed are
not shown for clarity). The dropoff operation involves the
following. In block 1010 the disc gripper device 410 moves the disc
140 into the dropoff position. Once this is achieved, in block 1020
the spindle clamp may be engaged. At this point, the disc 140 is
still secured in the disc gripper device 410. The disc is released
from the disc gripper device 410 and the disc gripper device 410 is
retracted. In block 1030 it is determined whether the spindle clamp
is successfully engaged or not. If the spindle clamp is not
successfully engaged, the process 1000 returned to block 1020.
Otherwise, process 1000 proceeds to block 1040. In block 1040 where
the disc gripper device 410 is un-gripped and retracted. In block
1050 it is determined whether the disc 140 was successfully
un-gripped and retracted. If the disc 140 was not successfully
un-gripped and the disc gripper device 410 retracted, process 1000
returns to block 1040. At this point the DRU 125 is free to perform
an operation on a different disc 140. Once the disc 140 is released
the spindle motor may be spun up in block 1060. In one example, it
may be desirable to delay the spin up until the disc gripper device
410 has retracted if there are clearance issues.
FIG. 11 illustrates a block diagram for a process 1100 for disc
pickup by the high performance optical storage system 100,
according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the pickup process
1100 is roughly the inverse sequence to the dropoff process 1000
(FIG. 10). In block 1110 the spindle motor is spun down. In block
1120 it is determined whether the spindle motor has successfully
spun down or not. If the spindle motor has not successfully spun
down, process 1100 returns to block 1110. Otherwise, process 1100
proceeds to block 1130 where the spindle has stopped and the disc
gripper device 410 is moved to the pickup location. In block 1140
it is determined whether the disc gripper device 410 has moved to
the pickup location or not. If the disc gripper device 410 did not
move to the pickup location, process 1100 returns to block 1130 and
continues to attempt to move to the pickup location. Otherwise
process 1100 proceeds to block 1150. In block 1150, the disc
gripper device 410 then uses the jaws 415 to clamp the disc 140. In
block 1160 it is determined whether the jaws 415 successfully
clamped the disc 140 or not. If the jaws did not successfully clamp
the disc 140, process 1100 returns to block 1140. Otherwise,
process 1100 proceeds to block 1170. In block 1170 once the grip is
complete, the spindle clamp is disengaged. In block 1180 it is
determined whether the spindle clamp has been successfully
disengaged or not. If the spindle clamp has not been successfully
disengaged, process 1100 returns to block 1170. Otherwise, process
1100 proceeds to block 1190 where the disc gripper device 410 can
retract with the disc 140. If there is no interference issue, then
the disc gripper device 410 may be moved to the pickup position
prior to the spindle having stopped.
Some embodiments include techniques and components for improving
the reliability of the disc kicker device 420 (see FIGS. 4, 6, 7,
and 12-15) in the high performance optical storage system 100 (FIG.
1). In the high performance optical storage system 100, the kick
actuator of the disc kicker device 420 can become mis-aligned at
the kicker tip 710 (see FIGS. 7 and 12-15). In some embodiments,
the misalignment at the kicker tip 710 is a correctable fault for a
small enough displacement. The reliability of disc 140 (see FIGS.
1-8E and 12) pick-up process is adversely affected if the
displacement is not corrected.
FIG. 12 illustrates a calibration system 1200 including an optical
sensor 1210 employed with the disc kicker device 420 for aligning
the movable arm 120 and the kicker device 420 with a disc 140 (see
FIGS. 1-8E and 12), according to one embodiment. While the disc
kicker device 420 is installed straight and true, it is possible
that it (or its holder) becomes slightly warped during operation,
such that the kicker tip 710 of the disc kicker device 420 is no
longer aligned with the optical disc 140 as it sits in the disc
cassette 150 (see, e.g., FIGS. 3 and 7). The alignment is critical
to reliably actuating a single disc 140 for selection: a
misalignment may raise or scratch an adjacent disc 140. In one
embodiment, if the high performance optical storage system 100
(FIG. 1) robotics is aware of an alignment delta then it can
compensate by realigning the moveable arm 120 (see, e.g., FIGS. 1,
2, 5, 6 and 8B-D) during the kick operation (kicking a disc 140 to
be grabbed by the disc gripper device 410 (see, e.g., FIGS. 5, 6
and 8B-D). The location of the kicker tip 710 is determined by
moving the moveable arm 120 until a fiducial sensor (e.g., fiducial
sensor 1310, FIG. 13, fiducial sensor 1410, FIG. 14) is triggered
by the kicker tip 710. In one embodiment, the fiducial sensor is
fixed at a constant distance from a disc alignment sensor (e.g.,
optical sensor 1210, FIGS. 12-15).
In one embodiment, the disc kicker device 420 in the high
performance optical storage system 100 has two tips on the kicker
tip 710, and a separate alignment sensor for each side of the
kicker tip 710 is necessary. For example, a first fiducial sensor
may be contained in a special eject cartridge on one side, and the
second fiducial sensor is located on a disk cassette 150 (see also
FIGS. 3 and 7) end-stop on the other side of the kicker tip 710.
The registration between the kicker tip 710 and the disc 140 must
be precise, and the optical sensor 1210 is used to locate fiducial
(optical) nubs 1320 (FIGS. 13-15) on the disc cassette 150. The
optical sensor 1210 is mechanically aligned with the disc guide 620
(see, e.g., FIG. 6) that the disc kicker device 420 travels
through.
FIG. 13 illustrates a calibration system 1300 including a switch
detector 1310 (e.g., a fiduciary switch detector) employed with the
disc kicker device 420 for aligning the kicker tip 710 with a disc
140 (see FIGS. 1-8E and 12), according to one embodiment. The
position of the moveable arm 120 (see, e.g., FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6 and
8B-D) is determined by reading fiducial nubs 1320 with the optical
sensor 1210 to find the position, y.sub.1, of the optical sensor
1210 relative to the disc cassette 150. In one embodiment, the
moveable arm 120 is moved to a special calibration area and the
disc kicker device 420 is extended so that the kicker tip 710 is
aligned with the switch detector 1310 of a known position. The
moveable arm 120 is then moved closer to the switch detector 1310
until the switch detector 1310 is activated by the kicker tip 710.
At this point the moveable arm 120 position, y.sub.2, is measured.
In one embodiment, when the disc kicker device 420 is in a known
true alignment, the value .DELTA..sub.y=y.sub.1-y.sub.2 is stored
for reference as .DELTA..sub.y.sup.ref. On subsequent measurements,
the value of .DELTA..sub.y is compared with .DELTA..sub.y.sup.ref,
and the difference is used to compensate the moveable arm 120
position when actuating a disc 140.
In one embodiment, the switch detector 1310 is replaced with a
non-contact optical detector. In an example embodiment, the
non-contact optical detector may be a reflective proximity sensor,
a beam interrupter, etc. In another embodiment, the switch detector
1310 is replaced with an electrical contact that is at a voltage
potential relative to the grounded metal disc kicker device 420. In
this embodiment, when the disc kicker device 420 touches the
contact, a current flows that can be detected.
In one embodiment, the switch detector 1310 is replaced with a
capacitive plate with an alternating polarity voltage applied
through an impedance device (e.g., a resistor, etc.). When the
kicker tip 710 is in close proximity to the capacitive plate, the
mutual capacitance between the disc kicker device 420 and the
capacitive plate will reduce the peak potential on the capacitive
plate, which is detected.
In yet another embodiment, the switch detector 1310 is replaced
with a hard (mechanical) stop. In this embodiment, the disc kicker
device 420 is gently moved against the stop while measuring the
force applied to the moveable arm 120 (e.g., through the current
drawn by the moveable arm 120 motor). The force will increase when
the kicker tip 710 contacts the stop, which is detected.
FIG. 14 illustrates a calibration system 1400 including a switch
1410 employed with the disc kicker device 420 for aligning the
kicker tip 710 with a disc 140 (see FIGS. 1-8E and 12), according
to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the switch 1410 is narrow,
and can only be actuated when the kicker tip 710 is within a well
defined range of positions. The moveable arm 120 (see, e.g., FIGS.
1, 2, 5, 6 and 8B-D) moves to a position (in either direction of
the arrow 1420) where the disc kicker device 420, when actuated,
activates the switch 1410 by movement of the kicker tip 710 (which
moves in either direction of the arrow 1430). The moveable arm 120
then moves to a position where the actuated disc kicker device 420
will not activate the switch 1410. In one embodiment, by a process
of "homing in," the point where the disc kicker device 420 is just
barely being activated by the switch 1410 can be determined.
FIG. 15 illustrates a calibration system 1500 including a go/no-go
edge (fiducial edge 1510) employed with the disc kicker device 420
for aligning the kicker tip 710 with a disc 140 (see FIGS. 1-8E and
12), according to one embodiment. Note that in other embodiments,
the fiducial edge 1510 may be replaced with a slot. In one
embodiment, the high performance optical storage system 100 (FIG.
1) includes a disc kicker device 420 stop with a fiducial edge
1510. The disc kicker device 420 can either pass by the fiducial
edge 1510 (or slot), or be blocked from passing by the fiducial
edge 1510. In one embodiment, by applying torque to the disc kicker
device 420 and determining where the disc kicker device 420 stops,
the position of go/no-go for the kicker tip 710 can be determined.
In one embodiment, the state of go or no-go is determined from the
measured position of the disc kicker device 420 at the end of
travel, or by relative timing of the onset of stall current in the
disc kicker device 420 motor.
FIG. 16 illustrates a block diagram for a process 1600 for
calibrating a disc actuator (e.g., an actuator of the disc kicker
device 420, FIG. 4, FIGS. 13-15) in a high performance optical
storage system (e.g., the high performance optical storage system
100, FIG. 1), according to one embodiment. In block 1610, process
1600 actuates a moveable arm (e.g., moveable arm 120, FIGS. 1, 2,
5, 6 and 8B-D) in the optical storage system. In block 1620,
process 1600 measures, by a processor (e.g., a processor in the
high performance optical storage system 100, CPU 912, FIG. 9, a
processor in the disc carrier controller 930, etc.), position of an
actuator tip (e.g., kicker tip 710, FIG. 7, FIGS. 12-15) relative
to a position sensor (e.g., optical sensor 1210, FIGS. 12-15). In
block 1630, process 1600 performs, by the processor, a calibration
operation to determine a displacement error of the disc actuator.
In block 1640, process 1600 corrects displacement error during
actuation of the moveable arm position to calibrate the disc
actuator at the actuator tip.
In one embodiment, in process 1600 the position sensor measures
position of the actuator tip relative to the position sensor. In
one embodiment, in process 1600 the position sensor registers
location of a base of the disc actuator with respect to position of
an optical disc (e.g., disc 140, FIGS. 1-8E and 12).
In one embodiment, in process 1600 a switch (e.g., fiducial sensor
1310, FIG. 13, fiducial sensor 1410, FIG. 14) that detects position
of the actuator tip upon depression of the switch based on movement
of the moveable arm causing the actuator tip to depress the switch.
In one embodiment, in process 1600 an optical proximity sensor
(e.g., optical sensor 1210, FIGS. 12-15) that detects the position
of the actuator tip based on movement of the moveable arm causing
the actuator tip to activate the optical proximity sensor.
In one embodiment, in process 1600 an electrical circuit detects
the position of the actuator tip based on the actuator tip closing
the electrical circuit by movement of the moveable arm. In one
embodiment, in process 1600 a driven electrical element is used to
detect position of the actuator tip upon movement of the moveable
arm that causes the actuator tip to modify measured capacitance of
the driven electrical element.
In one embodiment, in process 1600 a mechanical stop (e.g.,
fiducial edge 1510, FIG. 15) is used to detect the position of the
actuator tip based on movement of the moveable arm causing the
actuator tip to contact the mechanical stop and measuring a change
in force. In one embodiment, in process 1600 the mechanical stop
provides for the actuator tip to pass the mechanical stop upon
being in an aligned state and prevents the actuator tip from
passing by the mechanical stop upon in a misaligned state.
As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the
embodiments may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program
product at any possible technical detail level of integration. The
computer program product may include a computer readable storage
medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions
thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the
embodiments.
The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that
can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction
execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for
example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a
magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an
electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or
any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of
more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium
includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk,
a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable
programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static
random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only
memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a
floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or
raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon,
and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable
storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being
transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely
propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves
propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g.,
light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical
signals transmitted through a wire.
Computer readable program instructions described herein can be
downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a
computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or
external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a
local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network.
The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical
transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls,
switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter
card or network interface in each computing/processing device
receives computer readable program instructions from the network
and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage
in a computer readable storage medium within the respective
computing/processing device.
Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations
of the embodiments may be assembler instructions,
instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine
instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware
instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated
circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any
combination of one or more programming languages, including an
object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the
like, and procedural programming languages, such as the "C"
programming language or similar programming languages. The computer
readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's
computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software
package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote
computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the
latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's
computer through any type of network, including a local area
network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may
be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet
using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments,
electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic
circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable
logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program
instructions by utilizing state information of the computer
readable program instructions to personalize the electronic
circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the embodiments.
Aspects of the embodiments are described herein with reference to
flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus
(systems), and computer program products according to the
embodiments. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart
illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in
the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be
implemented by computer readable program instructions.
These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a
processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer,
or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a
machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the
processor of the computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts
specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in
a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a
programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to
function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable
storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an
article of manufacture including instructions which implement
aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block
diagram block or blocks.
The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto
a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other
device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on
the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to
produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions
which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or
other device implement the functions/acts specified in the
flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the
architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products
according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the
flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or
portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable
instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In
some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks
may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two
blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially
concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the
reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will
also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or
flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block
diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by
special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified
functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose
hardware and computer instructions.
References in the claims to an element in the singular is not
intended to mean "one and only" unless explicitly so stated, but
rather "one or more." All structural and functional equivalents to
the elements of the above-described exemplary embodiment that are
currently known or later come to be known to those of ordinary
skill in the art are intended to be encompassed by the present
claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the
provisions of 35 U.S.C. section 112, sixth paragraph, unless the
element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for" or "step
for."
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
the embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and
"the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood
that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this
specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude
the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of
all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are
intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing
the function in combination with other claimed elements as
specifically claimed. The description of the embodiments has been
presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not
intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments in the form
disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope
and spirit of the embodiments. The embodiments were chosen and
described in order to best explain the principles of the
embodiments and the practical application, and to enable others of
ordinary skill in the art to understand the various embodiments
with various modifications as are suited to the particular use
contemplated.
* * * * *
References